Singapore Slingers vs KL Dragons

So to avoid wasting Slinger fans' time from reading my personal life and sometimes social news, links for my friends, I will blog over at Singapore Addict's blog with regards to Slingers. This is also for friends who don't really enjoy reading basketball stuff. So my first blog entry of my review of the game against KL Dragons is here.

Pictures found here..

Happy Thanksgiving

With great friends enjoying a great time on NBA Live 10 on a 50in flatscreen with massive speakers @ a nice pad.

I am thankful for great friends, for a great family, a great boss and company to work for. And finally, always thankful that my photos are appreciated in someway or another.

I didn't know they notify you for stuff like that...

Weekend of Losses

So the Singapore Slingers have lost their 2nd ABL game and 1st home loss to KL Dragon yesterday - 74-86. It was something of a forthcoming bode which was made the day before by yours truly, though I seriously thought we can easily handle the Dragons, and Slingers can break the trend.

In the same sequence,

Jase's Celtics lost to Orlando  78-83

My Nuggets lost to Clippers  99-106

Our Spartans lost to Winning XI  51-68

The last occurrence which happen was just earlier this month in my blog entry Day of Losses - Deja Vu or a mere coincidence? I remembered watching this show Celtic Pride about 2 basketball fanatics, which have their usual antics of wearing this and that, and if the game is first half, they need to sit this way or that. Basically having trends to ensure their fav team Celtics won.

So we cannot have all 3 teams lose again, in order for Slingers to win!

But anyway the KL Dragons really played well from an uptempo intensity observed on the court, where Slingers defense was unable to stop them from a high percentage shooting. More photos and game review will follow next.

Rain rain rain

Been raining all week, can't get to shoot any hoops...
That's the problem with Singapore, not enough sheltered courts, and expensive indoor court booking charges. How to produce sporting talents when resources are not available? Food for thought for our Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports if he does ever read blogs.

Anyway my fav rain song...from my fav movie

Why I don't Photoshop

Normally my photos are as they are..except a bit of composure cropping and resize to make the file size smaller for uploading since per shot size is from 12-22mb. Anyway I don't advocate digital editing on photos because fundamentally I think they belong to another category for creative eyes who make adjustments to their shots on computers to create an art, while Nat Geo type of photographers create "art" from their eye through the lens. I do not mind a bit of HDR, airbrushing but I have seen many which seems to be way edited, though I really love it because of the mood and perspective it gives which might be impossible to photographers. Anyway to each their own, I am just old school for now, who knows if I might change later.


Anyway here is Photoshop at its worst...

Demi Moore's fat hips were obviously seen to be Photoshopped away on the latest December cover of magazine W.

It's almost Friday!! Another busy weekend ahead...had dinner with my JC girlfriends last night - apparently my schedule is so packed, I have excuses to stop dating. Duh....anyway so far my travel schedule is filling up till next August similar to this year's travel plans, traveling overseas almost every month. So it seems like singlehood is not by choice.

Slingers Number 1

So it seems like Alex Hartman did not keep his promise of 40 points..be it him scoring 40 points or trashing us 40 points. Well the results for now are as follows:

1. Slingers at top of the ABL table: 5-1 with 11 points; recently beating Satria Muda 61-59.

2. Leading 59-58 with 39 seconds left, Hartman missed two FT.

3. Hartman with 13 points, 6 of 15 FGs. 1 of 4 treys and 0 for 4 FTs.

So remind me to "remind" Hartman when he comes back to Singapore Indoor Stadium, think he plays better under pressure and with me,the turbanizer.com and Botak Jones corporate box guys taunting him. Haha

Do read more here:
http://redhoops.com/2009/11/14/satria-muda-slingers/
Red Hoop rawks! They have excellent overseas coverage of the Slinger games!

More of my previous post against Indo's Satria Muda here:
Local defence - D-Glove.
Hartman's promise.
My pictures.

So who's coming to the grudge match between Singapore vs Malaysia?
KL Dragons are visiting us at the Indoor Stadium at 4pm this Sunday 22 Nov!!!!
Bring the Singapore Flag if you have!! Will snap pictures of fans with flags and post them here!

Till then see you guys as I'll be sitting at courtside taking pictures and selecting players to taunt..haha

Oh and btw...Michael LeBlanc blogs as well!! Can see pics from Jase and mine in there..so he reads our blogs? Haha...but no credit for the pics used though...tsk tsk
Like reading players posts to see the game from their perspective...like how Darren "Doc" Ng used to blog about his games. But do hope Michael can share more about training programmes and the recovery therapies conducted. This will help avid basketball fans.

It has always been intelligence

Guys who liked them big can now attribute the attraction to intelligence. Perfect excuse to spotting smart women in a bar!

TGIF...tonight's going to be a good good night!

Wassup!

Used to watch all the Budweiser adverts during University (back then there wasn't Youtube)...the guys are back after 8 years...love these American ads, demonstrating real democracy which even reminds beer drinking folks to vote for change. Watch the 2nd advert before the first, if you never watch the Bud ads before. (Jase should love these..he introduced me to my first Bud at age 18)



In case you are too young to have beer back in 2000, here is the original ad.

Quote for November

Haven't been travelling lately, it has been a while since I shared a quote.

"We sit silently and watch the world around us. This has taken a lifetime to learn. It seems only the old are able to sit next to one another and not say anything and still feel content. The young, brash and impatient, must always break the silence. It is a waste, for silence is pure. Silence is holy. It draws people together because only those who are comfortable with each other can sit without speaking. This is the great paradox."
— Nicholas Sparks

A nice Sunday stroll

Typically I think when I take trips abroad. It is good when you leave all inhibitions behind in Singapore and try to start on a fresh mindset. But strangely, last Sunday on my walk back from Bishan after a basketball game, I had some thinking done to straighten my mind out about a few remaining open topics. Perhaps it was the sunny blue skies which reminded me of the ones in Australia or USA.

Either Singaporean Smokers cannot read or

Starbucks Coffee Drinkers can't. Two indulgence which I cannot come to terms with.

Taken with my Canon 7D with Diana F+ Lomography Fisheye 20mm lens

D-Glove - Desmond Oh

Desmond cutting past Hartman for a fantastic pass to Jeffers for an easy layup. 

So now Desmond Ho has a nick called "D-Glove". A great video made by Slingerrocks, showcasing Desmond's defense and great ball handling. In the video, Slingerrocks captured the move in the picture above.



Have lots more pics of Desmond Oh in the Indonesia Satria Muda game, which I will upload here.

Learn to shut up

Found a blog entry which reflects somewhat ground views, but it isn't exactly something I am advocating. As I have many foreigner friends and I do support foreign talent scheme by our government - so for my foreigner friends who are trying to settle down here in Singapore, sometimes try to understand from a local perspective and curtail your criticisms...as it is REALLY reserved for us Singaporeans who lived here and undergone the school curriculum; having to purchase out of reach public housing; having to serve 2.5 yrs of army and up to 40 days of yearly reservist training till we are 40 or 50 years of age depending on rank... You see, we are proud of this red dot, but there is much more to be done...and you do not see what we see or hear, so respect us as we have respected you being here. Do learn when to shut up and spare us your disingenuous criticisms. Yes our forefathers were foreigners as well, but they contributed to the nation building through blood and sweat and fought the Japanese invasion on this soil; as am I with my annual army duties, but more often to protect foreign investments more than "real" enemies up north and around. Poor arguments do not justify the fact Singaporeans love to complain...blogging is an avenue for release as studies have shown it helps mentally and emotionally by sharing...so now everyone has to take it like a man and stop bitching about realistic concerns? Have you taken a walk lately in the alleys of Sungei Road or Chinatown? Or are you just another elitist, Wee Shu Min devoid of compassion and  understanding?

A quote from Albert Einstein - "The world is evil, not because of the evil doers but those who see evil being done and do nothing."

In case the entry mysteriously disappears, I read this forum letter sent to ST as well, over the weekend in state newspapers.

ST Nov 7, 2009

Be prouder of this great little red dot

I REFER to Thursday's report, 'Singapore a top choice for migrants'. I am a new permanent resident, and this report not only makes me proud, but also affirms my fundamental belief that Singapore is destined to be a global centre from a financial standpoint and a cultural and social perspective.

After living most of my life in Sydney, Paris and Tokyo, I have embraced Singapore as my home - I never felt so intimate with the other cities.

My only beef with Singapore is that its citizens do not necessarily share my passion for this country. From personal observations, I have noticed that Singaporeans are both competitive and in a constant pursuit to improve their daily lives, whether economically or in some other sphere.

In this challenging environment, it is natural that one loses perspective of the overall big picture, which is that Singapore, a country of about 700 sq km, has come a long way from a backwater trading post to establishing itself as arguably the financial and technological hub of Asia.

Perhaps Singaporeans should be prouder of their country. Cab drivers complain about everything and university graduates I come across talk of saving up and moving to Spain or Italy.

Perhaps it is time citizens took a step back from the frantic demands of everyday life to reflect a little on what their country has to offer - a safe, ecologically aware and technologically advanced metropolis with excellent public transport and infrastructure, a thriving arts scene and a welcoming multicultural local population.

If foreigners from all over the world can see this and are coming to Singapore, why can't Singaporeans?

Sam Ahmed

I guess  this blog will be void of local criticisms when I decided and successfully migrated and go on to blog about new adventures and issues face. But I for one will not be writing to local newspapers of my new country and telling the locals how to live it and stop bitching!

Basketballers still ostracised

Many a times, I find it so hard to explain to expat friends on why we have so little NBA telecasts here, and why Singaporeans love to slap themselves.

It was a twinge of joy when I hear that Singtel won the EPL bid from Starhub. Some years back, myself and several friends cancelled ESPN subscriptions to show some fortitude in disapprovals to Sports channel price increase due to crazy price war between Singtel and Starhub to score exclusive rights to showcase EPL soccer, whom we being avid basketball fans somehow were penalised with no increased coverage of live games from NBA. Believe me that we tried to raise hell calling up or emailing ESPN prior to cancelling the channel, especially when my family are throwing arms about not being able to watch tennis/F1, so occasionally we turn it on for a month during US or French Open.

But my joy was shortlived when Singtel announced the price packages. $23 for soccer and $2 for ESPN...woohoo so cheap..but wait - You cannot get ESPN without soccer. Damn it, price is similar to Starhub's price plan but of course no need to pay $4 for setup box and no need basic package lar. But already used to watching Nat Geo, Discovery, CNN and AXN leh.. What if I don't enjoy watching soccer? Why do I still have to pay $23 to turn on something I do not watch? So looks like I have to contemplate paying $99 for NBA Broadband access for all the games; or wait for Starhub to pull a rabbit out of the top hat with maybe NBA TV?

Now even in digital phone services, there seems to be an issue over at Singtel - seriously when will our seemingly oligopoly competitive GLCs learn that primarily, consumers' interests have to be taken care of? What's the point of creating competition for the WTO's criticisms of government's monopoly stranglehold on telecommunication services, if in the end, consumers still lose? Now instead of a win-win situation, to the outside world, we look like idiots slapping/out-bidding each other from the deep pockets of GLCs whose paymaster is eventually the government.

Starhub is 56.9% owned by Temasek Holdings. Source
Singtel is 54.1% owned by Temasek Holdings. Source

Press Release about Slingers loss to Patriots

Just got an email from Bob about the loss yesterday...

After defeating the Philippines 74 to 69 in round two of the ABL competition, the Patriots were able to turn the tables on Singapore with a solid 70 to 53 win in Manila.  It was our first loss of the ABL season although the Slingers still sit on top of the League.  Make sure you put Wednesday, January 6^th in your calendar as the Slingers will host the Philippines in the tiebreaker of their series.

Coach Frank Aresgo had plenty to deal with even before the game got underway.  Starting point guard Al Vergara was doubtful right up until game time with an injury sustained in the win over Indonesia last week.  Al had a bruised knee but decided although he was not at 100% he wanted to play in front of his family and friends.  His on court presence was also important as backup point guard Wei Long was diagnosed with chicken pox the night before the game and could not take the court.  He will have to stay in Manila until early this week.  His teammate Wai Sian was also diagnosed with chicken pox and could not take the court.  Coach Arsego was already shorthanded with the unavailability of Steven Khoo who was on National Service duties.

The Slingers will now turn their attention to Indonesia to try and get back on the winning track with an away game on Saturday, the 14^th.  We will also try and get everyone healthy!  Singapore had a solid 96 to 72 win over Satria Muda last week but with the home court advantage no doubt Indonesia will be out to avenge their embarrassing loss.

The Slingers next home game is against arch rivals KL Dragons.  It is Singapore VS. Malaysia so spread the word to keep building the crowds.  Let’s Roar Singapore!

Go Slingers!

Bob

So we lost the game due to a lack of players, but the crap talking still goes on in the Facebook ABL fan page. You can see fans going at each other. It is easy to get carried away because fans are often a passionate bunch, and seriously I welcome a good flurry of "healthy" exchanges, especially when it doesn't involve contact and its all just words. I remembered reading that Michael Jordan often cut out news clippings on journalists criticising his games, and pasting on his locker to remind him, to drive him and to piss him. We all have our own ways of getting motivations. So I say remember the losses and use it to our advantage when we next meet the Patriots on 6th Jan!! I hope the crowd will be more than balanced in our favour!

The Pervasive Growth

This morning I had a nice good run to Bishan to meet up with some new found friends to have a decent 4-on-4 game. Been a long time since I play half-court games. And decided to spend some loose change to get some water.

Picture credit to SNG CHIN SENG, since I cannot find one to take a photo of.

 

It took me 20 mins trying to look for a Mama shop or a nice old provision shop or at worse, an Econ Mini mart. Well I gave up trying as all the old shops that I remembered in Bishan are now replaced with Cold Storage's 24-hr 7-Elevens. I guess I haven't been moving around Singapore. Having to live with $5 packs of chips, I now have to witness disappearing neighbourhood shops and wet markets. I have become unfamiliar with what I lived around me for past 30 years and in a short 3-4 year span, everything I used to take granted for has gone missing.

The price of growth - we lose old flavours to big conglomerates or GLCs. I am becoming a stranger in my own land. Damn, I hate change, but somehow it now seems less painful if I have to familiarise myself in another country.

After the game, instead of running, had a long stroll home...love walking in the clear blue skies on Sundays, help to provoke some thoughts. So more to come...

Day of Losses

So I woke up to see a losing Celtics - an end to 6-0 run.
Then on my way out to hear that Nuggets have lost, an end to their 5-0 run.
Then played a losing game with the Spartans as our Season 2 starts, barely a run.
And now Slingers have lost their first game in the ABL League, an end to 4-0 run.

Live stats to the Singapore Slingers vs Philippines Patriots game here. They lost 70-53 with the local boys only contrbuting 8 points.

Hmm we didn't do much better.... for the Spartans vs Rock Dogs, the score was a dismal 102-72. We lost by 30 points to a much stronger team today, but it seems we lost the heart in the 3rd quarter over much unforced TOs, which we counted easily 4-5 out of bounds + at least 7 travelling calls. Strange thing is that it happened to mainly 3 persons who all came late for the game today. 12 TOs equate easily to 24 pts to the opponents and that attributes to morale going south, which makes the part of having heart. Nothing is more tough fighting within ourselves.

As usual, we had a long post game debrief in order to know what went wrong and we learn from our mistakes. To win games, despite it being in an amateur or a professional one, we all have to bring our best to the table. We started with 6 guys with a sick center and a one-eye point guard from a terrible bacteria eye infection. We had 3 players who came late despite not playing last week in our pre-game warm up against O2. Somehow, perhaps complacencies set in as I see the next game with newly form teams in their new uniforms bringing in more enthusiasm - full squads of 12 came on time with warm ups completed.

No excuses, I need more practise these coming weeks as we push on in a more competitive Jammers league, where teams have made their changes and trades to better themselves. Go Spartans! Go Slingers! Go Celtics! Go Nuggets!!

Optimism in my perspective

Back in the school days, it is quite often I get a "He is a happy-go-lucky...or the well-liked in class, especially amongst his classmates..." comment on my report card, which I intentionally left out the full picture that I was rather disruptive cracking jokes to girls and I am seen often to be bored displaying symptoms of ADD which requires me to pay more attention during lessons. And the truth of the matter is that my teachers were more than kind with those remarks, yet nothing escapes my sharp observant mom going: "You must be creating a lot of trouble for your teachers!" More often, the truth is found out during Parent-Teacher sessions or when my Principal/VP calls my folks in. Basically the following words were never found in my report cards:


Examples of Positive Adjectives that Describe Children Being Used by Teachers:

Considerate     Well-mannered     Responsible

Fair                  Friendly               Brave

Thoughtful        Thorough             Self-confident

Intelligent         Cooperative         Helpful

Honest             Respectful           Efficient

Talented           Self-disciplined   Sincere

Responsible Hard-working    Dependable

Creative           Generous           Kindhearted

Mature             Curious             Artistic

Enthusiastic

LG sucks and reflection of time schedule

Life has been really busy lately. So I have no time to send my mobile phone for repair and thus, friends who don't message or call me...will slowly drip off from my schedule..which isn't really a bad thing. I am also known to be a procrastinator to such unimportant things which can wait and coincidentally this blog entry was due 2 weeks ago. Apparently I have been wearing for weeks - one of my fav t-shirt that goes "Procrastinator Unite! Tomorrow..." bought from my favorite Target mart  in US.
Also never believe in product ads on youtube and reviewers anymore. Below is a video review of my LG Renoir which supposedly can withstand baking, washing and even running over by a car...but apparently not by my go-kart going at 90-100kmh which is considerably lighter than a car..haha
Here is my go-kart aka long time army friend Jonathan's account of it and his wise words of advise on what not to do on a go-kart.



Anyway here is my typical after-work schedule which prevents me from actually having a relationship.

Mondays: Rest day from a crazy weekend since US is still Sunday...well that is until 8pm. Normally no conference calls so time is spent with the family or with my buddies at usual drinking hole.

Tuesdays: Normally 8pm conference calls. Otherwise tennis with my ex-colleagues or last minute movies with my movie buddy.

Wednesdays: Typically 10pm conference calls, otherwise alternative basketball scrimmages/tennis date or last minute movies.

Thursdays: Strangely normally conference calls only start at 10 or 11pm, in time to be back from my 2-hr Wing Chun classes which start at 8pm.

Fridays: Conference calls around 8-12am otherwise party or drinking time, otherwise it is NBA Live 10/Command and Conquer online with friends till 2-5am.

Saturdays: Morning check urgent work emails and noon is basketball matches at Jammers League, night is gathering with friends who have pre-booked in advance.

Sundays: Either morning photoshoots or in JB for go-karting followed by either shooting live basketball with Slingers at indoor stadium or buddies drinking gathering.

Noticed a lot of drinking...well here's a reminder that drinking is good for cognitive brain functions and helps in sleeping when you have too much to think.

Ignorance is bliss and I have no country

Weekly worthy reads - Singapore is a city and that's the truth. As the years go on, the occupants of this island should wake up to reality that we are merely renting a hotel on the island. This is not a country, since the bulk of us can't vote anyway, we just need to be obedient and dutifully work and enjoy live basketball games, with self-paid nanny millionaires governing the state without you needing to worry. Just make sure you pay your taxes on time and enjoy peace.

And of course, to be part of these millionaires, you must love to be ignorant despite many years of quality education.

“Our approach has therefore to [sic] been to ignore the criticisms which make no sense (to us).”
Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Law & Second Minister for Home Affairs
26^th October 2009

Nice approach, takes the pressure off needing to be accountable and answerable. And seriously, criticisms? Humbug..like I f*%#ing care what you 200 nitwits lawyers from the New York State Bar Association International Section think. Our drone-repressed citizens enjoying being plugged into the City Matrix and enjoying the fabulous ride.

Pretty screwed scrawling seen at a traffic crossing somewhere near Ang Mo Kio MRT

Ooh hoo..did I mentioned I need to do NS in the City Matrix? Upcoming March, wondering if a new software upgrade with PRs or FWs doing my NS since this is not a country anyway? Hope I can still keep my job, as my US boss was unaware of my 40-day NS liabilities as I was headhunted from Hong Kong. Ding!

Remember

There are 2 things worth remembering today...

The game started with a moment of silence to remember Lawrance Chow, as we stood by the courtside awaiting the game to start, we wondered who is Lawrance. Well, only now I know that he is the son of Slingers Deputy Chairman Chow Yen Lu but more importantly Lawrance is someone who love sports and with it...life, here is a great write up about Slingers by Lawrance; and that is how I briefly know him - through his words.

As we start the game, it was clearly shown that the Singapore Slingers were playing well tonight. And Indonesia Satria Muda Britama team were not themselves, being #2 in the league standings. Slingers rolled over them, winning 96-72 with the local boys doing everyone proud, which I will blog in details later with pictures but for now just look at the scores - even Prasad scored his first 2 points!

turbanizer.com corporate box with their MISS sign - quite effective I must say!

Almost at the end of the game, emotions got the better of me as I sat in front of the Turbanizer.com corporate box. Those guys are great fans screaming and often with their dangling MISS sign during free throw shoots and this time round, they even shared it with the Botak Jones' corporate box who took over that responsibility of pissing the opponents off in the 2nd half. Well, how exactly did I got too emotional? I joined in and started screaming with them at the Indonesian import - Alex Hartman you suck!

Botak Jones himself taking over the MISS sign in the 2nd half, as the team switch sides. 

So this Hartman guy actually replies to our taunts, and says this to us, well wait till you guys come to our court. I'll make sure we trash you by 40 points. I shouted back at him "Yeah right!" and he replied 40 points. I shouted back, "You do that, I'd hold you to that!!" Arrogance in another degree. Early in the game, he shot an air ball, and I overheard him saying to the referees that they did not call a foul, "No way can a professional player like me would shoot an air ball on a hook shot."

Let me tell you this. I watched Michael Jordan live in action, he missed a dunk and he shot air balls, and he is the undisputed greatest basketball player in the world. He displays more professionalism that you. Just to put you in place , the following pictures are for you and I will remember your promise to me. 40 points.

Hartman getting a LeBlanc block, who was waiting for quite some time

 

Here is Hartman trying to dunk - trying because this is actually a throw in as his fingers only touch the rim after the ball bounced off the rim with an off arm pushing Desmond Oh.

Hartman - you suck!